Coupling for air-conduits.



M. ARNOLD.

COUPLING FOR AIR CONDUITS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-1,1914.

1 168,4;56, Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 WASHINGTON, D. c.

Application filed August 1,

. To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVILLE ARNOLD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lima,in the county of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Couplings forv Air-Conduits, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing. l

This invention relates to couplings for air conduits, and the like, on railway cars.

The object of the invention is to provide means to automatically connect the air pipes,

steam pipes and the like when the cars are coupled, thus making itunnecessaryufor the brakemen or attendants to enter the space between the cars.

To this end it is a further object .otthe invention to provide means for supporting the conduits on the two cars in substantial alinement and to guide the ends of the conduits into registration when the two cars are moved together; and further, to provide means for yieldingly. supporting the conduits to hold the ends of the conduits in snug engagement, although the distance between the two cars may vary,

It is also an object of the invention to provide a single coupling for coupling a plurality of train pipes, such as theair brake pipe, steam pipe an the compresse air signal pipe, which are commonly found upon modern railway coaches.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of portions of two cars showing my invention applied theretoyllig. 2 is a plan view of the movable portions of a plurality of conduits showing the same provided with a coupling head; and Fig. 3

r is a detail viewo'l the coupling head.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention and have shown the same as applied to the frames of ordinary railway cars, as shown at l,'which constitute the supporting members for the conduits or train pipes which are indicated as a whole by the reference numeral '2. The adjacent ends ot the respective conduitsare' supported in substantial alinement by means of vokes or supporting bars 3depending from p l the frames of the respective cars and having portions extending beneath the end portions of the conduits. Eaohconduit is providedat its outer end with ahead at forming par-tot a coupling. These heads are mountedon the conduits and the latter extend through Specification of Letters Patent.

, struction they have not MELVILLE. ARNOLD, or LIMA, OHIO.

COUPLING, Fen AIB-CONDUITS.

Patented J an. 18, i916. 1914. Serial No. 854,454.

the heads. lhe two heads are provided with parts, such as 5, whichcooperate to guide the ends of the conduits into registering alinement so that when the cars have been coupled the ends of therespective tration. If .lesired, packings or yielding seats of any kind may be provided at the ends of the conduits to form a tight connection but with the present construction of the device this is deemed unnecessary, and as these seats may be of any well known conbeen here illustrated. The projections 5 and of the heads are arranged in such interlocking arrangement as to prevent any lateral or rotary displacement of the heads and serve to maintain the conduits in cou pled relation until lengthwise movement is imparted to one or both of the heads.

Coupled cars have considerable. range oi movement toward and away from each other while they are coupled and in order that the train pipes may remain properly coupled during these movements itis desirable that those portions of the train pipes I which are directly connected to the coupling heads should be capable of yielding, and, to this end, the train pipes are formed of metal throughout, which the coupling heads are cirectly con nected are formed separate from the body of the pipe, as shown at 6, and. are so mounted as movement. parts 6 with. pipes 2 may be of any suitable have, for mechanical reasons tormed a pivotal connection between these parts.

While the connection of character I As here shown the body of thepipe has an upwardly and rearwardly extending portion 7 which is in the connected by means of an intermediate portion or link ipe. with the respective parts of the pipe by means of pivotal couplings 9 of any. suitablecharacter and inasmuch as these couplings do not vention they This arrangement 6 of the train pipe movement in a substantiallystraight line. desired, however, the upturned portion? 0 the pipe may be .pivotally connected with form a partof the present in are not illustrated in detail.

enables the flared projections oriarms conduits will be in exact registhe adjacent portions instead of being. partially of flexible material, and theendpportions, to

to be capable of longitudinal. the the main portlons of the train form of a link and is 8 with the end portion 6' of the The endsot the link 8 are connected theend portion to have longitudinal l shoulders or collars 13 arranged on the end 'nected to th tions 6 of the train of the coupling guides are pivoted at 15 in a the body portion thereof, as shownat 1 0, and, when so connected, the end portion can be caused to move Springs 11 act upon the end portions 6 of the train pipes movement thereto and these springs tend to press the two coupling heads firmly suflicient' elasticity to though the distance between the cars ma vary to the greatest limit permitted by the couplings. To prevent the springs from moving the heads too far forward when the train pipe has been uncoupled slotted guides are provided which are engaged by pipes near the coupling These guides are preferably conthe automatic car couplers, which coupling head should one of 14c pullout of the car, the

direction to permit them to ride over the coupling head as the draw bar moves past the same. Stops 16 prevent the forward movement of the guides about these axes and enable them to 'form stops to cooperate with the shoulders also desirable be capable of the car and, pivotally coneirsupporting members on longitudinal a-Xes, as shown at 17, and the supporting members 3 are of such a character as to' allow the lateral movement of the train pipes. The length of the end porpipes and their manner of connection with the bod pipes are such as to permit of the lateral displacement of the coupling 13 as above described. It is that the coupling heads should lateral movement relatively to to this end, the guides 12 are he same to pivot about thus break the connection between the ends of the conduits.

,not desire to be what I claim: as new and desire While I have shown and described one embodiment of th i stood that the chosen for the purposes of illustration only, and that I'do limited to th he art. Having thus fully described my invention, to secure by Letters Patent, 1s: v 1. In a coupling for a train pipe, a train pipe comprising a fixed gitud' a con ling head, link-like portions pivotally connected to the respective ends of said overimpart lengthwise lapping portions, extending rearwardly at acute angles thereto and pivotally connected one to the other, and a spring to move said movable portion of said train pipe in one direction.

2. In a n a coupling for a train pipe, a train p pe comprising a fixed portion, dlnally movable portion having n a spring acting on said movable portion, and a supporting bar engaging the movable portion of said train ead, connected one fixed portion and said movable portion, res,

spectively, ng on said Sal ried by said a cooperating stop pivotally mounted on said a car coupler, ment of said cooperating stop in one direction, whereby it will limit the movement of said longitudinal member but Will ride over the coupling head on said longitudinally movable member if said car coupler moves relatively thereto.

6. The combination with a car coupler, of a train pipe comprisinga fixed portion and a longitudinally movable portion having a coupling head, a spring to impart movement to said longitudinally movable portion, a supporting member to retain said longitudinally movable portion in a horizontal position and permit it to have lateral movement, a stop carried by said longitudi nally movable portion, and a cooperating stop mounted on said car coupler for move ment about tWo axes extending respectively longitudinally and transversely of said movable portion of said train pipe, and means to hold said cooperating stop against movement in one direction about said transverse axis.

'7. The combination, with two cars having cooperating coupling heads, of train pipes carried by the respective cars and each comprising an end portion capable of longitudinal movement relative to the body of the tram pipe, a stop carried by said end portion, a guide mounted on the coupling head of the car carrying said train pipe and slotted to receive the end portion of said train pipe, said guide being connected With said coupling head for pivotal movement in one direction to permit said coupling head to move relatively to said train pipe and be ing held against movement in the opposite direction to cause it to cooperate With the stop on the end portion of said train pipe to limit the movement thereof in one direction, and a coupling for the two train pipes comprising coupling heads carried by the respective end portions of the train pipes and having parts cooperating to guide the ends of said pipes into registering alinement.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MELVILLE ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. EATON, THEODORE S. PARENT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C, 

